摘要
在《骆驼祥子》海外译介的过程中出现了一个值得探讨的现象,即《骆驼祥子》译本封面设计的多元化特征。一系列各具特色的译本封面通过不同的符号组织并构建了小说的叙事,呈现出独特的内容和风格。从社会符号多模态理论而言,在理念意义方面,这些译本封面设计可以分为低图像性与高图像性两大类,同时也呈现出一系列视觉连续体的特征;在人际意义方面,这些译本展示了多类观看模式;在组合意义方面,这些封面的设计者通过排版设计以及视觉重量传达了特定的信息价值观。封面设计将有意义的元素整理成连贯的文本,通过特定的模式结构创造新的意义。《骆驼祥子》在外译过程中虽然存在一定程度的误读情况,但总体上还是客观传达了小说现实主义的关照。
In the 21st century,″reading images″has become a dominant cultural phenomenon,triggering an increasing number of cross-semiotic dialogues between language-based and non-verbal semiotic resources.The phenomenon goes along with so-called intersemiotic translations,that is,the transfer of meanings across different semiotic systems.As an independent type of translation,it differs from traditional intrasemiotic translation across languages.Based on an extensive collection of 47 foreign translations of the well-known Chinese novel Luotuo Xiangzi,this paper analyzes the different modes of book cover design and the cultural phenomena these covers reflect.Using van Leeuwen s framework for analyzing the visual representation of social actors,the paper adopts a social semiotic multimodal approach.Our focus is on the motivated selection of non-verbal semiotic systems in social contexts.Each book cover,functioning primarily as a visual synthesis of the novel s content,is designed in accordance with the principle of transferring meanings from the verbal to the visual aspect.Therefore,a given cover implies an intersemiotic translation from a language-based mode to a pictorial mode.During the intersemiotic translation process from language to image,designers will choose a book cover s specific pictorial elements based not only upon the meaning of the verbal aspect;their choice is also constrained by the pictorial mode s different semiotic affordance.In fact,when tracing″similarity of meaning″with linguistic counterparts,pictorial resources allow for distinct ways of representing what experiences the original novel depicts.Additionally,by drawing on a rich inventory of visual devices such as color,line,shape,gaze,shot length,etc.,these resources serve to establish social relations between the reader and the cover.In essence,the 47 book covers are a product of multimodal intersemiotic translation.This makes it insightful to explore their designers(similar or diversified)patterns of perceptions and attitudes when practicing intersemiotic translation in the course of conceiving how such key images as the main protagonist,for instance,shall be represented pictorially.The three major concepts in multimodal intersemiotic analysis are ideological meaning,interpersonal meaning,and compositional meaning.As for ideological meaning,the 47 cover designs fall into two categories:low image and high image.They also present a series of visual continuum features.As for interpersonal meaning,cover designs display a variety of viewing modes.As for compositional meaning,finally,the designs convey a specific informational value by means of typographic design and visual weight.By analyzing the covers of foreign translations of Luotuo Xiangzi from the perspective of multimodality,we find that—even though some degree of misreading must have occurred in the translation process—most cover designs stay objectively true to an intersemiotic translation and thus convey the novel s realistic concern loyally.
作者
吴平
Wu Ping(College of English,Beijing Language and Culture University,Beijing 100083,China)
出处
《浙江大学学报（人文社会科学版）》
CSSCI
北大核心
2020年第2期144-153,共10页
Journal of Zhejiang University:Humanities and Social Sciences
基金
北京语言大学校级重大基础研究专项资助项目(18ZDJ02)
2019年北京语言大学引智项目“跨学科时代语言研究的理论与方法”。
关键词
《骆驼祥子》
封面设计
多模态
符际翻译
Luotuo Xiangzi
book cover design
multimodality
intersemiotic translation
